Weekly zine/o/wiki-report

Two years ago the Ethiopian government formulated five principles to be considered in the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) concept for Ethiopia which will be reflected in the implementation phase.

Principle number one: eBooks – there are eBooks available around the world and the objective of OLPC is not to increase the quantity, but to improve the quality and accessibility of the customized content so printing costs will be minimized. It also means eBooks can be easily updated and distributed.

Principle number two: eLibrary content is an essential part of education. An eLibrary will help to access content easily – an eLibrary will not only have official Ethiopian textbooks but also additional supporting books. It’s available in a master eLibrary out of which regional or local copies can be replicated.

Principle number three: Direct broadcast – using the existing infrastructure in Ethiopia for the implementation of projecting. Usage of school net-to-broadcast existing learning materials directly on the notebook. Usage of plasma screens for teachers to demonstrate tasks for all students on the screen. Broadcast video on plasma screen for teachers training on notebooks, on how to reconfigure or maintain laptop for teachers, for local enterprises and for students.

Principle number four: Interactive learning – an active process in learning, engaging students in authentic tasks leads to success. The relationship between interaction and learning depends on what they already know. Interaction should be a mechanism to deliver knowledge. Problem solving and interactivity is the main goal of learning. By following this approach, interactive learning will be driving idea for educational concept in Ethiopia.

Principle number five: Innovative learning is a concept which is an action oriented approach. Through this approach, students are expected to have acquired not only skills and knowledge obtained from qualifications, unit standards and curricula but they also have key competences such as problem solving techniques, communication skills and the ability to work in a team. The main factor which determines success or failure of innovative action oriented learning is a change in the role of teachers. Teachers have a big role in planning and structuring the learning process around tasks, problems, and questions. They guide and enable students to discover things on their own.